Armenia: Radio Liberty Off Air. Information and free choice the millennium target.

[demoleft]

Al Jazeera report:
"Armenia's state radio has refused to extend a contract with the US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)."

"The US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the agency responsible for Radio Liberty and other US government-sponsored international broadcasting, said in a statement that there was "no economic or other legitimate justification" for the contract to end."
(Al Jazeera link to the story http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/06AA1E05-B4D6-480F-A361-F55A7930ACE8.htm )

Radio Free Europe - Radio Liberty (RFE RL) states:
"James Glassman, chairman of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors, said that 'whatever is holding up an agreement has nothing to do with legal, contractual, or technical issues.'
The dispute follows an unsuccessful attempt by the Armenian parliament to block all foreign-language broadcasters."

(RFE RL link: http://www.rferl.org/features/features_Article.aspx?m=07&y=2007&id=79AC7567-3C1C-4733-BC81-DCD78E1F8B36 )

Demonstrations against a failed proposed law aimed to restrictions against foreign media are witnessed in this article on RFE RL website, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/07/bb6f8dcc-a266-43ba-86d9-4db560dbbd0a.html )

More in Human Rights Watch website, http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/06/29/armeni16293.htm
and in OSCE website, http://www.osce.org/item/25360.html

Free speech, free choice: the target.

[KharmaTrain]

1. RL/RFE...A Major Waste Of Money

These cold war relics should have gone off the air in the 60's...or at least when the wall came down. Other than a patronage money pit and CIA listening post, these stations represent a radio that no longer exists. People don't sit around shortwave radios and try to pull in noisy propaganda...especially the lies this regime puts out. If anything it's a joke.

[demoleft]

3. A radio is a radio.

The more voices we have, the more democracy works.
I don't rejoice in attempts to shut down voices - even those I dissent with.

It's a wound for democracy.

[KharmaTrain]

4. RL/RFE Is Anything But Free Speech

It's long been a clandestine operation of the CIA whose sole purpose is broadcasting propaganda into "hot spots". Millions of our money is spent each year to keep these dinosaurs spewing...and no one is listening.

Wiki gives a good look at their history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Liberty

I'm a strong believer in the diversity of voices...especially in countries that suffered under state-controlled media. We already fund VOA that is supposed to offer a free flow of information. This station takes up space that could be used for local broadcasters as well.

[demoleft]

5. I see your point and don't doubt your democratic attitude...

...I was just trying to say that sometimes the ways to democracy are "relative" and not "absolute".

A couple of examples, if you let me.
Italy's history after the demolition of the fascist dictatorship has been full of CIA controls and propaganda.
The Communist Party offered its own propaganda.
It wasn't good for free spirits, but helped Italy get out of the pool and strenghten its fragile democracy.

I had a friend, a south african black girl, who - you can imagine - was for Mandela's Party during the first elections in the 90's.
But she voted for De Klerk's party. Because, she said, democracy needs opposition. "What becomes of my country if the African National Congress takes it all?"

I think Armenia - and many other countries - needs dissenting voices. Many voices, the more the best.
Let's leave to their awareness the freedom to recognize lies. It's something useful for a people's developing democracy.
Told by a true Italian!

Thanks for the link to Wiki.
Ciao!

[KharmaTrain]

6. Thank You For Your Reply

I'm firmly with you about the important need of independent voices in countries that were long dominated by a state-owned system that monopolized the free flow of information. One of the most fascinating affects of the end of the cold war was to see a blooming of independent radio all across Europe. A combination of deregulation in the Western countries along with the loosening of restrictions in the East has had a positive effect in all countries. But not all countries have benefitted...especially in Africa, the Middle East and Eurasia.

The problem with operations like RL/RFE is that it's initial charter to bring opposing news and views into Eastern Europe as an "anti-doted" to Communist propaganda led to disatrous results with the Hungarian uprising in 1956 and again with Czechoslovakia in 1968. People rose up but there was no support from the "outside world"...thousands died. That's not quite the voices we want out there...or at least I hope not.

When the Eastern bloc fell, I had a good friend who was a journalist working throughout Eastern Europe at the time and he always claimed that what brought down the Berlin Wall was the fax machine. Also the availability of satellite television, VCR and even cassette tapes. When the flow and control of information was broken, so was the "fear factor" of people speaking out and helped push the corrupt government over the edge.

Wiki has a lot of interesting articles and links about International and Clandestine broadcasting...Iraq is a fascinating study now as the airwaves that once was dominated by only one voice now is flooded with many.

[Robbien]

2. Heh. It is just bad radio.

Appears we can't even pay them to keep that pollution on their airwaves.